Since the inception of the data storage disks, the industry has pushed towards higher and higher data storage densities by increasing the number of tracks per inch, the bits per track, or both on the storage of data on disks. Currently, once a disk drive has been assembled, it undergoes a formatting process in which the disk drive is configured to support a desired storage format. Typically, during the formatting process, a disk drive is placed in a test system, such as a single-plug tester (SPT), that is in communication with a remote host, such as a main frame computer which monitors the operations of the tester. To configure a disk drive to support a desired format, an image of the format is downloaded from the host in the test system and to the disk drive. The disk drive is then configured to the downloaded format so that the format can be supported by the disk drive.
Due to various factors such as an underperforming head or other characteristic defects of the disk drive arising from the manufacturing process, it may be desired to choose an alternate storage format to be supported by the disk drive. The foregoing may occur, for example after an initially desired storage format has been deemed to be unsuitable for a particular disk drive. This however, necessitates that a new formatting image be downloaded from the host into the test system. Should the newly downloaded image be also deemed unsuitable, then yet another image has to be downloaded from the host, with the process repeating until a suitable format is found or the disk drive is removed from the formatting process. The host is therefore required to be provided with an array of pre-configured format-images, allocate a generally large memory area for storage of all the pre-configured format-images, and to download each image to the test system upon request. Due to the inherently large size of most formatting images, delays in the overall formatting process may also occur each time an image is being transmitted from the host to the test system and the disk drive. The problem is further exacerbated since the host is often in charge of a large number of test systems and disk drives undergoing the formatting process at the same time.
Accordingly, what is needed is a method that allows for availability of various format images to be used in the configuration of a disk drive without the need for the storage and downloading of the images from a host computer.